From a seller to a platform, it has become the "SHEIN" of segmented categories

In 2022, British gardening brand B&Q launched its own e-commerce platform. It said at the time that more than 100,000 products from third-party sellers would be added to the platform in the next six months.

It is understood that B&Q is the largest diversified DIY and gardening retailer in the UK and even in Europe, occupying an absolute leading position in the market.

Currently, it occupies 19% of the market in the UK and has 288 stores, providing services to various types of DIY customers and meeting the various needs of different consumers.

In addition to offline stores, B&Q also has its own brand independent website, which was later transformed into a sub-category e-commerce platform for DIY and gardening products. Currently, there are more than 340,000 products on the platform, an eight-fold increase from when the platform was first launched.

According to data provided by B&Q, there are currently more than 400 third-party sellers on the platform, attracting more than one million visitors to the platform to purchase products every week.

In addition, the number of product categories sold on the platform is also growing rapidly. It currently has 18 subcategories, including lighting, power tools, wallpaper, small appliances, kitchen sinks and faucets, kitchenware and tableware, decoration, bathroom, furniture, storage, wall and floor coverings, Christmas, garden building and leisure, paint, paint tools and cleaning, plumbing, heating and cooling, landscaping and electrical.

On the other hand, since B&Q has a strong offline store network and can provide offline pickup and return services similar to Walmart, it is deeply loved by consumers and has greatly improved the competitiveness of the platform.

The successful transformation of the B&Q brand not only brought new impetus to the company's revenue, but also provided sellers on the platform with new sales channels in addition to large platforms such as Amazon.

Earlier, there was news that SHEIN may open up to third-party sellers in the United States, and Chinese sellers will be the main target of recruitment. So far, SHEIN has become the world's largest fast fashion company. At the same time, based on the fast fashion category, SHEIN has expanded its product line to beauty and home categories, and expanded its supply chain to areas outside of China.

B&Q is basically consistent with its strategic plan. After entering the open platform, it can not only enrich the platform's product categories, but also reduce operating costs and increase brand awareness. It is a strategic change that kills two birds with one stone.

However, there are some hidden dangers in this attempt. For example, the different customer service experience between the platform itself and third-party sellers will affect consumers' shopping experience. Major platforms such as Amazon and Walmart have also been fighting against counterfeit goods. SHEIN still has a long way to go in its transformation from a brand to a platform.

E-commerce platform

Seller